Friday, March 16, 2007

It's Baaaaaaaack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back from the dead, and looking little worse for the wear, it's the National Aquatic Invasive Species Act (NAISA). This bill has been resurrected in the US Congress in one way or another since 2002, but has yet to pass. Will 2007 be the year for it? Democrat Carl Levin of Michigan and Republican Susan Collins of Maine seem to think so.

The bill has major provisions for ballast water regulation, and would require a permit for the importation of any non-native species not on an approved "white list." It also lists appropriations for research and for the development of rapid response tools so that states will be able to better deal with problems at the earliest stages of invasion. The full text of the bill can be accessed via the link above, or you can check out prior ISW coverage of NAISA here.

Thanks to Lindsay G. from the National Wildlife Federation sending in a link to the press release.